Welcome to Derry Could Have Solved a Lingering Pennywise Enigma
Pennywise's influence on the children of Welcome to Derry molds them throughout their adult lives, twisting them into the very adults who keep the town's cycle of hatred alive. The creature preys most easily on kids from broken homes — youngsters who often mature to replicate the same patterns as their parents. However, the Hanlon household stands apart as one of the few households that never splinters, which may explain why Mike Hanlon, even after choosing to stay in Derry, persists as the only Loser who never fully falls under Pennywise's sway.
The Hanlon Family's Distinctive Resistance
In episode 4 of Welcome to Derry, Leroy finally becomes more aware of the paranormal entities enveloping the community, especially when the entity begins tormenting his child, Will, during their fishing trip. The Hanlon family comprises some of the few grown-ups who are cognizant that things are not right with the town, especially Leroy, who was revealed to be receptive to the Shining when he was able to detect Dick Hallorann's use of it in the third episode. Subsequently, Leroy spots one of the clown's trademark balloons outside his house. The ability, alongside his inability to experience terror, along with the base of his family, may be why he's capable of perceiving Pennywise's hauntings. However, consider if that psychic sensitivity is hereditary, and a key factor Mike Hanlon is among the few individuals in the town who resisted succumbing to the town's malevolence?
The boy is a member of the collective of kids at his educational institution being terrorized by the clown. His classmates hail from broken homes, with caregivers who refuse to accept they're being targeted. The cause Will is being pursued is due to the viciousness of the town, paired with his potential sensitivity to psychic abilities, which renders him vulnerable. The Hanlons are fundamentally strangers in the town during 1962, which lends itself towards the family feeling anomalies exist about the locality from the beginning. Additionally, they possess a solid base that remains unbroken, in contrast to the residents who originate in the area, with bonds that have decayed within.
Historical Context
Based on the original book, we understand the young Will Hanlon will end up at the Black Spot, where the psychic will save him from a blaze that the local KKK members of the community will cause. In the 2017 film, we observe that he has a son named Mike and that the father eventually perishes in a fire, with his father surviving his own child and taking his grandson in. The public account in the motion picture is that Mike's parents were on drugs, but given our current view of him in the series, that's hard to believe. Maybe the shy boy, once he grew up, leaned into alcohol to free himself of the torments, or perhaps the rotten town got to him initially, with the KKK eventually completing the job it began years ago. Whether through the fear of Pennywise or via the cruelty of the community, instigated by Pennywise, the creature eventually gets the last laugh on him.
Leroy's Transformation
This chain of events would clarify how the elder Hanlon transforms so radically from what we see in It: Chapter 1 and Welcome to Derry. In his older age, he appears resentful and much harsher with his discipline. Since he survived his own son, it's comprehensible to see such a profound shift. However, his words carry more weight now that we know he's seen Pennywise's hauntings and the effects they wrought upon his child. In the opening scene of the movie, we observe the boy pause to use a bolt gun on a animal at the family property. His grandfather reprimands him for delaying and provides an analogy that results in a kill-or-be-killed situation.
“You have two options you can be in this world. You can be in the open like us, or you can be trapped inside,” Leroy states as he points to the sheep. “You waste time hemming and hawing, and someone is going to decide for you. Except you won't know it until you experience that projectile in your head.”
In hindsight, this could represent a piece of foreshadowing, something he wishes he had told his own child. Maybe he wishes he had acted differently in his past, but for certain factors, he was unable to avoid the repellent allure of the town.
